The U.C. Davis USENET FAQ Part 2 of 6
Frequently Asked Questions at and about U.C. Davis
(c) Copyright 1995
by
David F. Prenatt, Jr.
King Hall, 1995 Alumnus
U.C. Davis School of Law
University of California
Davis, CA 95616-5210
<mailto:NetEsq@dcn.davis.ca.us >
The U.C. Davis USENET FAQ may be comprised of more than one part. If it
is, please see the TABLE OF CONTENTS in Part One for a complete list of the
questions that I have attempted to answer and for other important legal
information. Caveat emptor: I assume no obligation to anyone through the
publication of the U.C. Davis USENET FAQ. Furthermore, all versions of the
U.C. Davis USENET FAQ are my personal property and are protected by
applicable copyright laws. All rights are reserved except as follows: I
hereby give my permission to anyone who has access to this version of the
U.C. Davis USENET FAQ to reproduce the information contained herein for
non-profit purposes, provided that proper credit is given to me as the
author of this FAQ and that I am notified of any use other than personal
use. I may revoke permission to reproduce any version of this FAQ at any
time.
- - - - -
The U.C. Davis USENET FAQ Part 2 of 6
Frequently Asked Questions at and about U.C. Davis
(c) Copyright 1995 & 1996 by David F. Prenatt, Jr.
1) ABOUT THIS FAQ.
1.1) Who wrote this FAQ and how can I reach him? [Rev]
This FAQ was written by me, David F. Prenatt, Jr., 1995 alumnus of the
University of California, Davis School of Law (King Hall). Until
further notice, you can reach me by my e-mail through the Davis
Community Network:
NetEsq@dcn.davis.ca.us (<mailto:NetEsq@dcn.davis.ca.us >)
or by snail-mail (i.e., U.S. Mail) through my Davis P.O. Box:
David F. Prenatt, Jr.
Internet Esquire(sm)
P.O. Box 74632
Davis, CA 95617-5632
or on the World Wide Web (<http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~netesq/ >).
1.2) What information is contained in this FAQ?
Anything that I, as the author of this FAQ, decided would be of
interest to members and would-be members of the U.C. Davis community.
See PREFATORY QUESTIONS (Section 0) for more information. For more
information on U.C. Davis, interested parties should also see the U.C.
Davis Gopher (<gopher://gopher.ucdavis.edu/ >) and/or visit the U.C.
Davis Home Page on the World Wide Web (<http://www.ucdavis.edu/ >).
1.3) How is this FAQ organized?
This version of this FAQ may be arbitrarily divided into unequal parts
where I felt it was convenient to do so. I did this for two reasons:
First, some readers of this FAQ may have specific questions and may
not want to read the entire FAQ. If this version is comprised of more
than one part, the first part will contain the complete TABLE OF
CONTENTS. Thus, readers may refer to the TABLE OF CONTENTS to find
out which part of this FAQ contains the specific questions that they
want answered. Second, some computer services and/or applications are
unable to handle extremely large computer files. Thus, if this
version of this FAQ is comprised of more than one part, no one part
will exceed 32k. See the TABLE OF CONTENTS in this FAQ for more
detailed information about how the contents of this version of this
FAQ are organized.
This FAQ uses standard Uniform Resource Locator (URL) protocol
references to accomodate readers with a web browser:
<ftp://[ftp site][directory][archive] > = file transfer protocol
<gopher://[gopher address] > = gopher protocol
<http://[World Wide Web address] > = hypertext transfer protocol
<mailto:[e-mail account]@[domain] > = SMTP e-mail protocol
<news:[newsgroup or article reference] > = USENET protocol
<telnet:[telnet site] > = IP telnet protocol
These URL references will act as hyptertext links for those using
Netscape to read this FAQ.
1.4) How can I obtain this FAQ?
This FAQ is archived at rtfm.mit.edu in the pub/usenet/news.answers
directory under the archive name ucdavis/faq/part* (where * = 1
through 6) and is available by anonymous ftp and e-mail request. See
Section 11.3.3.1 for more information on how to use ftp and e-mail
request. This FAQ is updated once a month and the most current
version is posted to ucd.general (<news:ucd.general >) and
news.answers (<news:news.answers >); A hypertext version of this FAQ
is currently available at the USENET FAQ project:
<http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/ucdavis/faq/top.html >
Snail-mail requests for this FAQ, [Offline] (Version 21Jun96),
released June 21, 1996, will be honored within the United States
(U.S.), if those requests are accompanied by $5.00 in U.S. funds in
the form of a check or money order for each copy requested to cover
the cost of printing, shipping, and handling; volume discounts and
licensing agreements are available. At my discretion, I may ship a
more recent version of this FAQ unless you specify otherwise.
1.5) Are there any other FAQs available by the author of this FAQ?
Yes. I have published five other FAQS:
The King Hall Law School USENET FAQ (King Hall USENET FAQ),
appearing on ucd.king-hall <news:ucd.king-hall >) and available by
anonymous ftp and e-mail request at the rtmf.mit.edu ftp server:
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/ucdavis/king-hall-faq/ >
. . . [through] . . .
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/ucdavis/king-hall-faq/ >
(see part 1 for a complete list of the TABLE OF CONTENTS)
with a hypertext version available at the USENET FAQ Project:
<http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/ucdavis/
king-hall-faq/top.html >
The Davis, California USENET FAQ (Davis USENET FAQ), appearing on
davis.general (<news:davis.general >), and available by anonymous ftp
an e-mail request at the rtfm.mit.edu ftp server:
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/davis/faq/part1 >
. . . [through] . . .
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/davis/faq/part6 >
(see part 1 for a complete list of the TABLE OF CONTENTS)
with a hypertext version available at the USENET FAQ Project:
<http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/davis/faq/top.html
>
The Yolo County, California USENET FAQ (Yolo County USENET FAQ),
appearing on yolo.general (<news:yolo.general >) and available by
anonymous ftp an e-mail request at the rtfm.mit.edu server:
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/yolo/faq/part1 >
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/yolo/faq/part2 >
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/yolo/faq/part3 >
(see part 1 for a complete list of the TABLE OF CONTENTS)
with a hypertext version available at the USENET FAQ Project:
<http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/yolo/faq/top.html
>
The Sacramento, California USENET FAQ (Sacramento USENET FAQ),
appearing on sac.general (<news:sac.general >)and available by
anonymous ftp and e-mail request at the rtfm.mit.edu server:
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/sac/faq/part1 >
. . . [through] . . .
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/sac/faq/part6 >
(see part 1 for a complete list of the TABLE OF CONTENTS)
with a hypertext version available at the USENET FAQ Project:
<http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/sac/faq/top.html >
The San Francisco Bay Area USENET FAQ (Bay Area USENET FAQ),
appearing on ba.general (<news:ba.general >)and available by anonymous
ftp and e-mail request at the rtfm.mit.edu server:
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/sf-ba/faq/ >
. . . [through] . . .
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/sf-ba/faq/ >
(see part 1 for a complete list of the TABLE OF CONTENTS)
with a hypertext version available at the USENET FAQ Project:
<http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/sf-ba/faq/top.html >
These FAQs are updated once a month and the most current versions are
posted on news.answers (<news:news.answers >) and the appropriate
designated USENET newsgroup. Offline versions of the 21Jun96 releases
of these FAQs are available within the U.S. by snail-mail request, if
your request is accompanied by $5.00 U.S. currency in the form of a
check or money order for each copy of each FAQ that you order, to
cover the cost of printing, shipping, and handling; volume discounts
and licensing agreements are available. Including the FAQs that are
listed here, I have about a dozen FAQS currently under construction
and/or pending approval of the *.answers team.
2) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FROM PEOPLE PREPARING TO ATTEND U.C. DAVIS.
2.1) What are the prerequisites for attending U.C. Davis?
There are no prerequisites for attending U.C. Davis. U.C. Davis is a
public university, and many people attend U.C. Davis without being
formally admitted to any academic program. However, most people who
attend U.C. Davis seek formal admission to some academic program
before they begin attending U.C. Davis. Admission to any academic
program at any college or university requires some sort of official
imprimatur.
2.2) What are the prerequisites for admission to an academic program at
U.C. Davis?
It depends upon the academic program. See Section 3 for a complete
list of the Educational Programs Available at U.C. Davis. Some
programs have very strict academic standards and prerequisites and
other programs have open enrollment. Many people believe that the
raison d'etre of U.C. Davis is undergraduate education, but this is
only part of the educational mission of U.C. Davis.
The educational mission of U.C. Davis is a constant topic of
debate (i.e., research, teaching, etc.). Whatever the educational
mission of U.C. Davis is, even more people argue about what the
educational mission of U.C. Davis should be. However, to the person
seeking admission to one of the academic programs at U.C. Davis, the
exact nature of U.C. Davis's educational mission is not as important
as whether U.C. Davis has an academic program to help that person
achieve his or her personal academic goals.
Before someone can achieve his or her academic goals, one must
know what those goals are. Many of the people whom I meet who are
enrolled in academic programs at U.C. Davis have no specific academic
goals. These people did not make an informed decision about why they
wanted to attend U.C. Davis. Rather, that decision was made for them
by someone else.
Many people who complete an academic program at U.C. Davis, with
all of the trappings of academic success, did not belong at a
university in the first place. They listened to traditional wisdom
and applied to U.C. Davis simply because the opportunity presented
itself. Once admitted, they selected from the menu of classes and
completed the requirements for graduation simply because they felt
that it would create better opportunities for them. However, for many
of these people, better opportunities were not forthcoming, and thus
many of these people would have been better off at a junior college or
a California State University (CSU).
Most junior colleges and CSUs are friendlier and more affordable
than U.C. Davis. Moreover, U.C. Davis readily accepts transfer
students from junior colleges and CSUs. These transfer students
typically have higher Grade Point Averages (GPAs) at U.C. Davis than
they would have had if they had started attending U.C. Davis as first
year undergraduates. Thus, those who attend U.C. Davis simply because
they can do so are at a distinct disadvantage when they become
juniors, seniors, or graduate students at U.C. Davis.
2.3) What should I do to prepare for U.C. Davis?
Decide why you want to attend U.C. Davis. If you don't know, then
attend a junior college or a CSU until you figure it out. U.C. Davis
will still be around a couple of years later. Whatever you do, don't
let someone else make your decisions for you, especially not the
anonymous authority of the crowd. If you are a competent adult, then
no one is better informed about your personal situation than you are.
2.4) What are the advantages of attending U.C. Davis as an undergraduate?
The advantages of attending U.C. Davis as an undergraduate as opposed
to a junior college or CSU are the advantages that result from your
association with the ambitious people who are drawn to a research
university. However, your academic education may suffer in the
process. Like any research institution, U.C. Davis relies heavily
upon teacher's assistants (TAs) to teach undergraduate courses that no
tenured professors really want to teach. In striking contrast,
classes at junior colleges and CSU's have a higher percentage of Ph.D.
instructors who are highly motivated and capable teachers.
Junior colleges are primarily transitional institutions. Many if
not most of the students there will eventually enter a four year
institution and obtain a four year degree. Accordingly, students in
junior colleges do not as a rule suffer from a lack of ambition. The
cultural millieu of CSUs, on the other hand, inculcates a ditch digger
mentality in many students.
Everything at the CSUs, from the major fields of study that are
offered to the architecture of the buildings, reinforces the false
notion that CSU students are somehow second-class students. But there
is no reason for students to accept this pecking order; it simply
doesn't have to be that way. Someone who attends a CSU can have just
as good an education as someone who attends a U.C., if not better.
No matter where you attend college, the trick to getting a good
education is to take courses from good teachers rather than just
taking required courses at prestigious institutions. If you find an
instructor who knows how to teach, take whatever classes he or she
offers, and ask him or her to recommend other teachers. I had one
undergraduate mentor who taught three courses simultaneously at three
different colleges (a U.C, a CSU, and a junior college), and I
attended all three courses at the same time.
2.5) Can you tell me something about the history of U.C. Davis?
Once upon a time, in 1905 the U.C. Davis campus was established as the
U.C. Berkeley farm; later it became the U.C. College of Agriculture.
U.C. Davis became a general campus in 1959. Over the course of its
evolution into a separate U.C. campus, U.C. Davis has distinguished
itself in many areas. The school of veterinary medicine and the
viticulture and oenology programs are arguably the best in the world.
3) EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER PROGRAMS OFFERED BY U.C. DAVIS.
There are over 140 educational disiplines/majors at U.C. Davis as well
as many educational minors that are divided up into three colleges and
four professional schools; non-degree educational programs and
intercollegiate sports programs are also offered. See the current
U.C. Davis Catalog for more information on the particular educational
programs that interests you or contact one of the colleges or
professional schools listed in the subsections below.
3.1) APPLYING FOR ADMISSION TO AN ACADEMIC PROGRAM AT U.C. DAVIS.
3.1.1) How and when do I apply for admission to U.C. Davis as a first year
undergraduate?
Depending upon when you intend to begin your studies at U.C. Davis,
you may be required to apply any time from six months to a year in
advance, and the location to which you should submit your application
may vary. Contact Undergraduate Admissions at (916)752-2971 for an
application and for information on how, when, and where to submit your
application as a first year undergraduate. Readers with a web browser
may also visit the U.C. Davis Admissions Home Page on the World Wide
Web (<http://louie.stuaff.ucdavis.edu/Admissions/!info.html >).
3.1.1.1) What are the basic requirements for admission to U.C. Davis as a
first year undergraduate?
Various subject requirements are imposed upon first year undergraduate
applicants to U.C. Davis. In addition, an applicant's high school GPA
is balanced against his or her score on standardized tests and ranked
on an eligibility index; applicants from outside of California must
have at least a 3.4 GPA. If you score well enough on your admissions
test, you need not complete the scholarship and subject requirements.
3.1.1.2) Is Affirmative Action dead at U.C. Davis for first year
undergraduate students?
On Thurday, July 20, 1995, the U.C. Regents approved the proposal of
U.C. Regent Ward Connerly to end the use of race-based criteria in
admission procedures for the U.C. system, but the significance of this
decision for disadvantaged students has yet to be determined. As a
U.C. Davis alumnus, it profoundly disturbs me that people are arguing
over who is most victimized by the U.C. system. As a law school
graduate, I question whether the U.C Regents' decision was even
newsworthy in light of the Supreme Court's decision almost two decades
ago in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265
(1978), that effectively ended Affirmative Action (i.e., race-based
quotas) in college admissions. Unlike many other schools, U.C. Davis
has fully complied with the _Bakke_ decision in its admissions
procedures and and its active recruitment of members of groups that
have been historically underrepresented at U.C. Davis.
Affirmative Action (which is patently illegal and does not exist
as most people seem to think that it does) may not be the solution to
the problems faced by the U.C., but neither is the fundamental
restructuring of admissions procedures by the U.C. Regents one of the
real problems that disadvantaged applicants for admission to U.C.
Davis will face in the future. The crux of the problem for all U.C.
applicants (which few people have seen fit to address) lies in the
lack of space to accomodate the vast majority of qualified applicants
who wish to attend a particular U.C. campus (e.g., U.C. Berkeley) as a
first year undergraduate. Neverthless, no matter how limited the
opportunities are for first year undergraduates at a particular
campus, the lack of particular opportunities does not compromise the
various other opportunites that still exist for those people who wish
to attend a U.C. as part of their undergraduate education.
If you apply for admission to the U.C. system as a first year
undergraduate student and you get turned down, it is usually for a
reason that you can address and fix. For example, if your GPA or
admission test scores are too low, you can bring them up at a junior
college or CSU and transfer in at a later date. See Section 3.1.2
for more information on application as a transfer student. However,
the number one reason that most people do not get admitted to the U.C.
system is that they choose not to apply. They are told by their
family and friends that it is a waste of time to do so. Do not buy
into the defeatist propaganda that the anonymous authority of the
crowd has to sell.
My high school grades and my performance on standardized tests
gave me the opportunity to attend virtually any college that I wanted
to attend when I was 15 years old. I was also offered full
scholarships to colleges that most people are never even able to
attend. However, after successfully completing two semesters of
college as a high school junior, I chose to attend junior colleges to
complete the vast majority of my underclass undergraduate education.
When I eventually transferred full time to a four year university, my
high school GPA and standardized test scores became totally
irrelevant, nothing more than bragging rights that did not affect my
chances for admission to a university for better or for worse.
Moreover, my undergraduate education as a whole was cheaper, faster,
better, and a lot more fun than that of most people whom I know who
only attended a four year university as an undergraduate.
3.1.2) How do I apply for admission to U.C. Davis as an undergraduate
transfer student?
Students who are thinking of transferring to U.C. Davis should contact
Transfer Student Services at (916)752-2200 to coordinate their
transfer. Depending upon when you intend to begin your studies at
U.C. Davis, you may be required to apply any time from six months to a
year in advance, and the location to which you should submit your
application may vary. For an application and information on how when
and where to submit your application as a transfer student, contact
Undergraduate Admissions at (916)752-2971. Readers with a web browser
may also visit the U.C. Davis Admissions Home Page on the World Wide
Web (<http://louie.stuaff.ucdavis.edu/Admissions/!info.html >).
3.1.2.1) What are the requirements for admission to U.C. Davis as an
undergraduate transfer student?
Start with the requirements for admission as a firt year undergraduate
applicant and work your way down. See Section 3.1.1.1 for information
on first year undergraduate application requirements. After
completing 12 or more transferable quarter units with a GPA of 2.0,
you are exempt from examination requirements that are imposed upon
first year undergraduate applicants to U.C. Davis; after completing
the equivalent of 84 or more transferable quarter units with a 2.4
GPA, you are exempt from the high school GPA requirements that are
imposed upon first year undergraduate students (a 2.8 GPA in your
transferable college courses is required if you are not a California
resident). Meanwhile, you can complete college courses in the
required high school subjects that may have excluded you from being
eligibile for admission as a first year undergraduate applicant.
3.1.2.2) Other Things to Consider as an Undergraduate Transfer Student.
You may want to take some summer classes at U.C. Davis before you
transfer in as a full time student. That way you can get acquainted
with the University and see if its the right place for you. Admission
to a Summer Session is much easier than admission to the University as
a normally matriculating student, and the hussle and bustle of the
normal school year is greatly reduced during the summer. See Section
3.1.5 for more information on admission to Summer Sessions.
3.1.3) How do I apply for admission to U.C. Davis in a non-degree program?
Contact University Extension or the Experimental College for this
information. See Section 3.4 for more information.
3.1.4) How do I apply for admission to U.C. Davis as a graduate or
professional student?
Contact Graduate Admissions at (916)752-0655 for information on how
and when to apply for admission to the various graduate and
professional programs at U.C. Davis. Readers with a web browser may
visit the Office of Graduate Studies Home Page on the World Wide Web
page:
<http://pubweb.ucdavis.edu/documents/gradstudies/gradpage.html >
3.1.5) How do I apply for admission to Summer Sessions?
Virtually anyone can enroll in Summer Sessions at U.C. Davis without
going through any admissions procedures. However, admission to a
Summer Session at U.C. Davis is not the same thing as admission to the
University. For information on enrolling in a Summer Session, call
the Office of Summer Sessions (<mailto:summer-sessions@ucdavis.edu >)
at (916)752-1641 or 1-800-VIP-2738 and ask for a catalog or visit the
office in person at 44 Mrak Hall. Readers with a web browser may also
wish to visit the U.C. Davis Summer Sessions Home Page on the World
Wide Web (<http://www-mrak.ucdavis.edu/ssessions/UCDsummer.html >)
3.2) UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS AT U.C. DAVIS. [Rev]
See the current U.C. Davis Catalog or contact one of the three
colleges listed below for information on the undergraduate programs
that are offered through U.C. Davis:
* College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
<http://www.aes.ucdavis.edu/ >
(916)752-0107.
* College of Engineeering
<http://www.engr.ucdavis.edu/ >
(916)752-0553.
* College of Letters and Sciences
<http://www-lsdo.ucdavis.edu/ >
(916)752-0392.
See also the URLs listed below:
* Schools and Colleges at U.C. Davis
<http://www.ucdavis.edu/schools-colleges.html >
* Academic Departments at U.C. Davis
<http://www.ucdavis.edu/acadedepts.html >
3.3) GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL PROGRAMS AT U.C. DAVIS.
Readers with a web browser may visit the Office of Graduate Studies
Home Page on the World Wide Web page
(<http://pubweb.ucdavis.edu/documents/gradstudies/gradpage.html >).
3.3.1) GRADUATE SCHOOL PROGRAMS AT U.C. DAVIS.
U.C. Davis is among the top 20 universities in the United States in
terms of research funding. There are over 70 graduate school programs
at U.C. Davis, which rely heavily upon research funding. See the
current U.C. Davis Catalog or contact one of the three colleges listed
in Section 3.2 for information on the specific graduate programs at
U.C. Davis that interest you.
3.3.2) PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL PROGRAMS AT U.C. DAVIS.
3.3.2.1) The Veterinary Medicine School.
Contact the School of Veterinary Medicine Admissions at (916)752-1383
for information on its educational programs or visit the school's Home
Page on the World Wide Web (<http://vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ >).
3.3.2.2) The Medical School.
Contact the School of Medicine Admissions at (916)752-2717 for
information on its educational programs or visit the school's Home
Page on the World Wide Web (<http://www-med.ucdavis.edu/ >).
3.3.2.3) The Law School.
Contact Sharon Pinkney (<mailto:slpinkney@ucdavis.edu >) at the Martin
Luther King, Jr., School of Law (U.C. Davis, School of Law, popularly
known as King Hall) Admissions at (916)752-6477 for information on the
Law School's educational programs or visit King Hall's Home Page on
the World Wide Web (<http://kinghall.ucdavis.edu/ >). See also the
King Hall USENET FAQ for any questions that you may have about King
Hall; see Section 1.5 for more information on how to obtain the King
Hall USENET FAQ. If the King Hall USENET FAQ does not answer your
questions about King Hall, it should direct you to someone who is
qualified to do so.
3.3.2.4) The Graduate School of Management.
Contact the Graduate School of Management Admissions at (916)752-7399
for information on its educational programs or visit the school's Home
Page on the World Wide Web (<http://www-gsm.ucdavis.edu/ >).
3.4) NON-DEGREE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AT U.C.DAVIS.
3.4.1) University Extension.
University Extension provides various continuing education programs as
well as concurrent enrollment for students who are not formally
admitted to the University. Non-matriculating students may thus use
concurrent enrollment to obtain college credit. Contact University
Extension from a touch tone phone at (800)752-0881 in California or
(916)757-8777 to order a catalog. Readers with a web browser may also
visit the University Extension Home Page on the World Wide Web
(<http://www-unex.ucdavis.edu/ >).
3.4.2) The Experimental College.
The EC provides a number of extra-academic courses with virtually no
academic prerequisites. Contact the Experimental College (EC) at
(916)752-2568 for more information on its educational programs.
- - - - -
End Document:
The U.C. Davis USENET FAQ Part 2 of 6
Frequently Asked Questions at and about U.C. Davis
(c) Copyright 1995 & 1996
by
David F. Prenatt, Jr.
King Hall, 1995 Alumnus
U.C. Davis School of Law
University of California
Davis, CA 95616-5210
<mailto:NetEsq@dcn.davis.ca.us >
Link to Next Document:
<http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~netesq/USENET-FAQs/ucdavis/part3 >
- - - - -

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